The Art of Lunge: 101
Posted on Wednesday, October 24th, 2007
If you’ve frequented many mountain towns in the autumn months, you’ll notice a common theme: fall is a tranquil time.
The last chance to nab one more [insert your summer activity of choice here] beckons you off the couch, and winter is just around the corner. Carving pumpkins, starting up the woodstove again, ski swaps, and all that crap that is sappy but also nostalgia-inducing fun.
But then the precipitation comes, and since it’s often too cold to snow or a mix in-between drizzle, everyone is driven indoors. People in athletic towns go crazy without a fitness outlet, and it’s mind-boggling how the climbing gyms’ and athletic clubs’ parking lots swell overnight once the weather turns.
While I wish I could say I never “hit the gym,” that just isn’t the case; I cave to the convenience of a quick, dry place to burn some stress just like the rest of the cardio crazed masses. However, I can’t help but smirk at the endless number of “ski fitness classes” that begin to pop up around the valley more densely then the latest proposed affordable housing plan.
Don’t get me wrong, I have several friends who make a living at personal training, and at the end of the day it’s not any less righteous than selling coats, but it cracks me up to look at the variety and multitude of theory poured into the latest “ski fitness” regimen.
I could squat in front of my TV doing lunges for three hours a day while watching TGR films too, or come up with a crazy hard yoga pose on one of those big inflatable balls while working on my core balance and quad burn.
But somehow I just enjoy the agony of the first few short laps or the grueling slog up Mt. Glory’s bootpack … off the couch. Honestly, skiing is my preferred method of ski fitness.
Maybe someday you’ll see me next to you toting dumbbells in a circle of endless lunges, but for now it’s much more fun to sit on the couch and make fun of everyone else and suffer later.
My first experience with a ski fitness class left me unable to walk for four days…pretty embarrassing considering I was an avid runner all summer and ski lodge employee who skiied every day last winter. I think I’ll give it one more try and a shorter recovery period before I write it off completely. HOWEVER, Chris I think you’re definitely right on in terms of the madness that surrounds it. Taking on the desk job makes me feel obligated to kicking my own behind in a structured setting. I’ll be glad to follow up on any progress or failure in regards to this approach later on. On a side note- lets all hope the fact that the pass was closed over the weekend is indicator for some decent snow this winter